Boeing Defence Australia will extend its support to the Australian Army Aviation Corps’ (AAAC’s) 14-strong fleet of CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift tactical transport helicopters after a contract extension was signed with the Australian Department of Defence (DOD) on January 20.
Worth AUS$41m, the deal will see Boeing continue to provide maintenance, training and sustainment services for the Australian CH-47F fleet over the next five years – a move that will increase the value of the support contract to a total of AUS$146m. This extension comes after two additional Chinooks were delivered to C Squadron of the AAAC’s 5th Aviation Regiment at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Townsville, Queensland, in June 2022.
While the fleet is based at Townsville, maintenance and sustainment support services are carried out in Oakey and Brisbane – both are located in Queensland. Commenting on the contract extension and the importance of the CH-47F to AAAC operations, Shane Fairweather – the first assistant secretary of the Joint Aviation System Division, said: “The CH-47F Chinook fleet is an important capability for Defence, providing critical lift capability on several domestic and regional operations, including Bushfire Assist in 2020, and Tonga and Flood Assist in 2022. This contract extension will expand the maintenance and training support for our Chinook fleet, while boosting opportunities for defence industry in Queensland.”
Having entered operational service with the AAAC in May 2015, the CH-47F – the latest and most advanced variant of the Chinook family to date – replaced Australia’s legacy CH-47D fleet, with 14 examples delivered in total. This newly acquired 14-strong fleet is solely operated by the 5th Aviation Regiment’s C Squadron at Townsville.
